Multiple clutch



June 15, 1948. J, ANDRES 2,443,491

Mum-:Pm cLUTcn Filed June' 29, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1948 Lloyd J. Andres, Chicago, Ill., Vassignor to Automatc Instrument Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Michigan Application June' 29, 1944, Ser-iaf! No. 542,695

4 Claims.

l This .invention relates in general to mechanical vclutches and more particularly to a self-energi-z'ing multiple clutch for starting and Stopping two driven fsh'aits, independently of each other from -a single drive sh'aft. Ordinary clutches for V accomplishing a, similar purpose usually require considerable expenditure of energy for engagement and 'disengagement, and vthe means employ'ed for synchronizing the Stopping and starting of independent drive shafts are 'dependentupon complicated structures and the use of safety devices for preventing two driven members from being inadvertently engaged at the same time. This invention overcom'es the above obj'ections through the use of a novel arrangement oi ele: w

m-ents and la new control means Whereby tively small forces for its operation are required for engaging and disengaging a olutoh and inherently provides precision timing means for eontrolling two independent driven shaifts from a single drive shait.

A principal object of the nvention is the provision of a self-energizing multiple clutoh for independently starting and Stopping two driven shafts from a single drive shaft.

A further object 'of the invention is the provision of a self-energized clutch for starting stopping a driven shaft from a drive shaft by means of a rotary control member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of' a elutch for Stopping and starting pair of lconc'entrically driven sha'f-ts from a con'centrically positioned drive shaft by means of a sing-le control member positioned 'adjaccnt to the clutoh.

Other 'objects and advantages in one ernbddi'- ment of the invention are described vin the ap*- pended'specification and drawings in Which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary illustration of the cl'utch and its control lmember operatively 'connected between a pair of concentrically driven shaffts and a drive shaft.

Fig. 2 is a fragment-arv cross-section of the clutch shown in Fig. 1 taken through axis 2-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a -crossfsectonal view of the clutch shown .in Fig. l taken through axis E U, Pig. 1 at right angles to the view shown in 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of 'the clutch shown in Fig. 1 taken along section lines 4-4, Fig\.1.- I g Fig. 5 is a perspective exnloded view of the p'rin'- oipal elements of the clutch.

Referring to Fig. 1, 'a fiange drive member I is concentricall'y Secured to the drive Vshaft of a motor 2, and adapted to rotate in the direction shown by arrow. A driven shaft 3, integral With a ooncentric worm gear ll, represents a driven member. Worm gear 5, representing -a Vsecond driven Amember integral with shait is supported in astationary bearing l' and in a concentrio bore in the shaft 3. A rotary clutch control member 8 is carried on shaft 5, and will be hereinafter described in detail. v

'The principal olutch members lll, li, IQ, and

1,3 and drive member i, Fig. 5, are shown in a.,- sembled relationship in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Referring to Elg. 2, the fiange drive member I is shown secured to the motor shaft. The clutoh control members EG, il, and lll are held in a fixed spaced relation with each other by two oppositely positioned studs M-Hl and spacers I-l and IEI-IB. Collars ll-il, integral and oonoentr-ic with spaoers iii-H5, are slidably fitted into .slots IB-IB of the flange member' i shown in Fig. ii.L Thus, the assembly of members iii, il, and 13 is retained for rotation in the slots iB-i-B in the flange and themembers are adapted to be moved .predetermihed distanoes at right angles tothe axis of rotation of the flange member i Referring to Fig. 3, a flat Circular spring iii is rctained by thelstuds iii- 44 in a position for urging deten-t balls Elli-Jil retained in holes 2 i 2 il of member IB toward the outer face of the flange I; Detent holes 22, 23, and Zl in flange i (Fig. 5) are provided for retaining the olutch members 10, H, and I 3 in three different lateral positions with respect to the axis of the fiange i. When the members Ii), ll, and l are in their neutral disengaged position, the ball 28 is seated in hole 22 as shown in Pig. 3. When the clutch is shifted by meansto be hereinafter described, the members IH, ll, and Vl3 will be held by reason of the Vscatih'g of the other ball 2G in hole for driving one of the driven shai'ts and will be held by reason of the seating oi said other ball 20 in hole 24 for driving the second driven shaft.

Sh'a'ft 3, shown in Fig. 2, contains an integral tooth 25 projecting from its outer periphery, and clu-tch member w has a mating tooth 25 projecting ironi its inner periphervso that when the olutch members iii, H and l' are shifted to the 'position VVshown in lj-lig's. 2 and 4:, and the ilange l is rotated, the teeth 25 and 25 will engage each other to drive vthe shaft 3.)

Driven memberz'l, is integral With the 'end of driven shaft Ei, and has an integral tooth 28 on its outer periphery. Clutch member H has a mating 'tooth 2.9 on its inner per-iphery, which tooth will engage with tooth *28 of the member 21 When the members H), H, and IS are shifted to a position for engagement. This movement will automatically disengage the teeth 25 and 26 required for driving the first driven shaft 3.

Clutch members lll and ll have eccentric camming projections 35 and 36 respectively, on their outer peripheries, and clutch member l3 has two oppositely disposed concentric camming projections 30 and 3| on its outer periphery.

The clutch control member 8, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is mounted on shaft 9 parallel to and at a fixed distance from the axis of rotation of the clutch and has resiliently mounted therein three striker plates 32, 33, and 34. These plates are positioned to cooperate with clutch members lll, ll, and 13 respectively. The end of each striker plate is adapted to be manually, or otherwise moved, int-o the path of the eccentrio projection of a corresponding clutch member when the latter is rotated. In the position shown in Fig. 4, and assuming that flange l is rotated in the direction shown by arrow, striker plate 32 has just completed contact With projection 35 which laterally moved the members ID, l I, and i3, to a position where the ball detent 20 has engaged hole 23 in the flange member I, and engaged the teeth 25 and 26, thus imparting rotation to shaft 3 and worm 4 shown in Fig. l.

When clutch member 3 is rotated 120 degrees in the direction shown by arrow, striker plate 33 will engage projection 35 on clutch ymember H, and move members lll, ll, and |3 laterally in opposite direction from the previous operation whereby teeth 25 and 26 will be disengaged and teeth 28 and 29 will be engaged, which will stop rotation of shaft 3 and impart rotation to shaft 6 and worm 5.

When clutch control member 8 is rotated a further 120 degrees, striker plate 34 will engage one of the projections 30 or 3l of clutch member l3, and move members Hi, II, and [3 laterally to their neutral position with the detent ball in engagement With hole 22 in flange l, Which movement will disengage teeth 28 and 29 of clutch Imember ll and driven member 21, thus stopping the rotation of shaft B and worm 5.

It is apparent that various combinations of successive movements of the clutch control 8 will operate the clutch accordingly. For example, when plate 32 is moved into its Operating position, it will always cause the engagement of shaft 3, whereas when striker 33 is moved into its operating position, it will always cause the engagement of shaft 6, and likewise when strker 34 is moved into operating position, it will always cause the disengagement of shaft 3 or shaft 6 from the driving flange by virtue of the contact of the projection 3D or 3! of the plate l3 with the striker 34.

Each striker, 32, 33, and 34 is retained in a separate pocket 38 against the restraining action of a spring 39 by pin 31, thus each striker is capable of inward movement in order to prevent jamming between the striker and its corresponding clutch member projection in the event the two tips of mating teeth are positioned against each other when the camming projections of the clutch member engage the striker. Under these conditions the striker will move inwardly against the restraining action of its spring 33 and permit the projection to pass for another revolution before again striking and moving the members lll, H, and [3 into their shifted positions.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the energy for shifting the clutch members HJ, ll, and l3 for engaging and disengaging the two driven shafts, is obtained from the rotative energy supplied to the flange l, hence a very slight amount of independent energy is all that is required to position the control member 8 for controlling the various functions of the clutch.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A self-energizing clutch comprising a rotatable drive member, two driven ymembers concentric With each other positioned on the same axis as said drive member and having their ends positioned adjacent to said drive member, each said driven member having engagement means on its outer periphery, an engaging member slidably secured to said drive member and adapted to three transverse positions with respect to the axis of said drive member, said engaging member having two independent abutting means thereon corresponding to each said engagement means whereby one tr-ansverse position of the engaging member 'Will engage one abutting -means with a corresponding said engagement means to drive one said driven member when said drive member is rotated, and Whereby the opposite transverse position of said engaging member Will engage its second abutting means with a corresponding said engagement means to engage the second driven member when said drive member is rotated and whereby the central transverse position of said engaging member will prevent the engagement of either abutting -means with either said engagement means when said drive member is rotated.

2. A self-energ-izing clutch comprising a rotatable drive member, a pair of concentrically positioned driven members positioned on the same axis as said drive member, said driven members having independent engagement means on their ends adjacent to said drive member, a shift- Ving member slidably Secured to said drive member, said drive member including a detent means for holding said shifting member in three different transverse positions with respect to the axis of said drive member, said shifting member having two abutments for independently engaging each said engagement means, and having three spaced cam projections on its outer periphery, three movable striker plates positioned adjacent to said shifting member, each said plate adapted to be positioned in the path of yone of the said cam projections, whereby when said plates are alternately positioned to strike said cam projections said cam projections alternately move said shifting member transversely to its three different positions to alternately engage said engagement means with said abutments and alternately and independently drive each said driven member and to disengage each said driven member when said drive member is rotated.

3. In a self-energizing clutch, a rotatable driving member, a pair of driven members concentrically positioned with the axis of said driving member, a shifting member slidably se-cured to said driving member and adapted to alternately engage said driven members when shifted to two positions, control means positioned parallel and adjacent to said shifting member, said control means including a pair of spaced resiliently mounted striker plates for alternately shifting said shifting means to its two positions to alternately engage said driven means when said driving member is rotated.

li. In a self-energizing clutch, a rotatable driving member, a pair of driven members concentrically positioned with the axis of said driving member, a shifting member slidably Secured to said driving member 'and adapted to alternately engage said driven members when shifted to 5 6 opposite transverse positions with respect to the REFEEENCES CITED ams of Sala dnvmg member and to dlsengage The following references are of record in the both said driven members when shifted to its central position, and detent means operatively me of this patent' related to both driving member and said shifting 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS member for retaining said shifting member in its Number Name Date three positions when shifted. 82 703 Gates och 6 1868 1,126,924 Valoppi Feb. 2, 1915 LLOYD J. ANDRES. 2,210,668 Hopkins Aug. 6, 1940 

